Apple Acres LLC, Lafayette, N.Y., has opened a 60,000-square-foot packing facility, in time for the new apple crop, with harvest starting this month.
The building, spanning two football fields, features a packinghouse line with a straight path configuration that minimizes fruit handling, according to a news release. It is certified under Global Food Safety Standards. The facility has Compac, Van Doren Inc. and Burg sorting and packing equipment.
The company recently expanded acreage, and apple varieties include Rubyfrost, SnapDragon, Macintosh and Empire. The company also packs for other New York apple growers.
Apple Acres, a family owned and operated business, hired David Williams as vice president of sales and marketing. He most recently was vice president of sales and Marketing at Fowler Farms Inc.
Before that, he was vice president of sales at Tastee Apple, director of national accounts-Midwest sales for Ready Pac Foods Inc., and national account manager-Kroger team for Dole Fresh Vegetables.
Company founder Walter Blackler manages the growing operation, his daughter Catie Blackler manages the business, and her husband, Derek Raymond, manages internal systems and the packing operations, according to the release.
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